Beastly

Kyle Kingson has it all, including a wicked cruel streak. He zeroes in on goth classmate Kendra, inviting her to the school's extravagant bash. After she accepts, he blows her off in a very cruel fashion. She retaliates by casting a spell that physically transforms him into everything he hates. Enraged by his horrible appearance he confronts Kendra and learns that the only way to break the curse is to find someone that will love him as he is, which is something he considers impossible.

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Beastly is an interesting modern day version of Beauty and the Beast. As a disney fan who loved the original story of Beauty and the Beast as a child, I find that Beastly is a great teenage version. This movie, which is based on the book by Alex Flinn, delivers an important message that appearances do not matter and that we should not be obsessed with the way that we or other people look. Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens are amazing actors that deliver the message of the movie perfectly.
- @reginaphalange of the Teen Review Board of the Hamilton Public Library

This movie is a lesson. never
judge a person on what they
like on the out side. There is
much more to a person than
how they look. The main
character in the movie found
that out the hard way.

RedHot2

JMGP
Sep 18, 2014

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. It is a modern day adaptation of Beauty and the Beast set in highschool. The "beast" learns humility and empathy, and love gradually, and convincingly effects his change of heart. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for pre-teens. The language is often offensive and there are a few crude references and a scene with two characters "making out".

jamilad
Aug 18, 2014

I knew it would be bad, but not so bad I'd stop watching it about 10 minutes in.

I read the book and it's just as unremarkable as this film. It seemed to be more of a ploy to make money (especially since the copyrights on Beauty and the Beast have long since expired). What I liked about this film was that they seemed to do just enough so that the film wasn't annoying. The settings were pretty faithful to the book, and were probably my favorite part of the film. I think the two lead roles were well cast in terms of physical appearance, and maybe the acting. Not the best movie, but not the worst.

It could have been a good movie, but the overall actor performance was poor and the love story is not convincing at all :( It seemed that they hardly had any time to develop any meaningful feelings and in the movie it felt really shallow...

Summary

Kyle Kingsbury (Alex Pettyfer) is the arrogant and vain son of wealthy television news anchor Rob Kingsbury (Peter Krause). At a party, Kyle bullies the eccentric Kendra Hilferty (Mary-Kate Olsen). Disgusted, Kendra magically transforms Kyle into a bald, tattooed and scarred shell of his once-handsome self. Kendra says Kyle has until the next spring to find someone who loves him or he will stay this way forever. Kyle's father takes him to live in a private house with their maid Zola (Lisa Gay Hamilton) and Kyle's blind tutor Will Fratalli (Neil Patrick Harris). Rob initially promises to support his son, but gradually neglects Kyle and stops visiting him altogether. Angry and hurt, Kyle finds sympathy from Will and Zola.